Social Media in Schools

     Today I saw a video about a principal at a middle school who sent an e-mail to the parents of students saying "There is absolutely, positively no reason for any middle school student to be a part of a social networking site". To me, there are two sides of this argument to look at -- the educational and the psychological.

     Social networks can have a very positive impact on education. Some networking sites have even been created by teachers for the purpose of teaching to their students. In this respect, I feel that any student should be able to become a part of such networking sites.

     However, I do not feel that middle students should be getting on Facebook or MySpace. People on these sites can often see the presence of bullying and abuse. If young children were to become the targets of these people, they could be hurt emotionally, and in some instances, physically. I would hate to see anyone become the target of bullies online or otherwise, and I just do not feel that these social networks, and many others, should not be open to younger children.

     jmers593